Beef and Vegetable Shish Kebabs

You’ve seen the colorful prepared kebabs in the butcher case, but cooking meat and vegetables together on a stick is a bad idea because the meat will overcook before the veggies are done. So keep them separate, and add extra flavor with a Mediterranean spiced marinade made with a little tomato paste and brown sugar to help everything brown. Serve the grilled sirloin and veggies with some pita bread, drizzle with a creamy yogurt sauce, and you’ve got a complete and tasty meal.

Game plan: If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes beforehand so they don’t burn on the grill.

Watch Lisa Lavery of the CHOW Test Kitchen make these delicious shish kebabs in an episode of our video series The Easiest Way.

Ingredients

1 tablespoonkosher salt

2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoonpaprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/3 cupolive oil

2 tablespoonstomato paste

5 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (1-1/2- to 2-pound)sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick

8 ouncescremini mushrooms

1 poundsummer squash (zucchini, yellow, or a mixture of both)

1 medium red onion

10 (12-inch) wooden or metal skewers (soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to avoid burning on the grill)

Instructions

1Place the salt, sugar, zest, cumin, paprika, pepper, and coriander in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil, tomato paste, and garlic and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/4 cup of the marinade to a large zip-top bag, and set the bowl with the remaining marinade aside.

2Trim the beef of excess fat and sinew and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place the cubes in the bag with the marinade, seal it, and, using your hands, massage the meat to coat it with the marinade. Set it aside at room temperature to marinate for at least 30 minutes, flipping the bag halfway through. Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high (about 375°F to 425°F) and prep the vegetables.

3Clean the mushrooms, trim the stems, and add the mushrooms to the bowl with the remaining marinade. Cut the squash into 1-inch chunks and add them to the bowl. Peel and cut the onion into 1-inch chunks, separate the layers, and add them to the bowl. Stir to coat the vegetables with the marinade, then thread them onto 6 skewers, leaving about 1/8 inch of space between each piece; set aside.

4When the beef is ready, remove it from the bag and thread it onto the remaining 4 skewers, leaving about 1/4 inch of space between each piece.

5Place the skewers on the grill. Cover the grill and cook, turning the skewers every 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the beef skewers when all sides of the meat are lightly charred on the edges and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a piece registers 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil.

6Continue to turn the vegetable skewers until all sides are lightly charred on the edges and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer the vegetable skewers to the serving platter and serve immediately.